What Is Cartesi and How It Integrates Linux to Blockchain

Cartesi is an infrastructure focused on enhancing blockchain computational processes. It achieves this through a technology known as Optimistic Rollups. These rollups can operate on top of public blockchains, moving complex calculations off-chain and increasing transaction speed. Cartesi employs application-specific rollups, allowing developers to build scalable applications.

To build applications on multiple networks, developers may need to learn the specific programming language of each blockchain. For example, the most popular language to build apps on Ethereum is Solidity. A developer with knowledge in more standard languages needs to learn Solidity to start building on the blockchain. Cartesi offers a solution by allowing for the creation of dApps in more common languages such as C++ and Python. For that purpose, it provides developer tools, including libraries, and app integration frameworks. 

Cartesi's core technology is its computing environment called the Cartesi Machine. It is designed to run smart contracts within a Linux operating system. Like Windows and macOS, Linux is used for computers, smartphones, and other devices. However, only Linux from the mentioned three OSes is completely open-sourced. Developers can access the logic of Linux apps, and reuse codebases for new solutions.  

Integrating Linux and blockchain, Cartesi makes it possible for developers to build smart contracts using the tools of the OS. Apps developed with Cartesi can be deployed on Layer 1 chains, such as Ethereum, and Layer 2 chains such as Arbitrum and zkEVM. This way, Cartesi increases computational scalability and programming flexibility for devs. Apart from improving scalability, Cartesi can reduce fees associated with high network congestion by moving a part of the computations off-chain. 

CTSI, the native cryptocurrency of Cartesi, is used for governance, staking, paying transaction fees, and other functions in the ecosystem. Token holders can stake their assets in the network to make it more secure and earn rewards in return.

Cartesi was founded in 2018 in Singapore by Erick de Moura (Chief Executive Officer), Augusto Teixeira (Chief Executive Officer), Diego Nehab (Chief Technology Officer), and Colin Steil (Chief Operating Officer). The founding members have broad experience in software architecture, programming, mathematics, and business operations. 
In a previous AMA session, the Cartesi team said that the initial idea was to create a blockchain-based AI marketplace for data scientists. However, exploring the constraints of blockchain development, the team switched its focus. Cartesi's goal became to make decentralized apps easier to develop and use by allowing developers to work with familiar programming languages.  

In 2021, the team launched Cartesi Labs to drive the adoption of Cartesi's technology and ecosystem. 

According to the Cartesi Rollup Lab, dApps using Cartesi solutions currently include Honeypot, BubbleWars, Ultrachess, DrawingDapp, and others. The project’s roadmap called the Technical Evolution Plan involves future protocol upgrades and technology experiments such as integration with the Bitcoin Network and rollup accessibility through in-browser interactions. It may change, however, based on the progress and community decisions. As a part of community initiatives, Cartesi frequently hosts events and “Cartesi Experiment Week hackathons'' to grow the ecosystem. 

The project is still in the early stages of development. Along with benefits like developer-friendly infrastructure and the ability to code in different languages, Cartesi has limitations related to its Linux-focused nature. Developers need to have specific knowledge to work on Linux OS and the Cartesi protocol. Taking into account the pros and cons, it’s still uncertain how Cartesi will perform and how much adoption it will see in the ever-changing and competitive crypto market.